Many and various types of desktop tape cutters have been developed and commercialized. Among them, a number of impressive examples are roughly classified into the following three types. First, some tape cutters are unique in a tape-mounting method or in a reel-supporting method, according to which a user can replace a tape from the side while leaving a reel supported by a main body, or according to which a tape is laid on its side with a rotational shaft extending in the vertical direction so that the tape is twisted by 90 degrees between a sticking portion and the reel. Some other tape cutters are furnished with additional functions. For example, a tape cutter includes a rotary plate attached to the bottom thereof to make a yaw motion with the rotational angle of 360 degrees. An other tape cutter can serve as a penholder. Yet another tape cutter includes a mechanism configured to lift the leading end of a tape, after the tape is cut, to thereby enable a user to pick up the raised leading end with the fingers. Moreover, to prioritize safety of a finger, some other tape cutters are equipped with a mechanism for rotating a blade portion to house the cutting edge of the blade, or are equipped with a cover to conceal the same.
For example, a conventional tape cutter includes a linear blade, rather than a general saw blade, with a mechanism capable of ensuring safety of a finger at the cutting edge of a blade. As is understood from T30 by Elm Corp., a pair of rotatable ball-like edge guards can be provided on upper opposite sides of a blade to allow a tape to pass between the guard balls while being folded in a V shape and prevent a finger from passing. Furthermore, as understood from ST51 by Lion Office Products Corp., a sliding plate can be provided in front of and adjacently to a blade so that the plate can conceal the cutting edge when the blade is not used. When a user applies pressing force to cut a tape, the tape is moved downward and pulled forward by the applied force while a tape-sticking portion swings in the back-and-forth direction to move the plate downward. However, the above-described products have some problems in usability. Strictly speaking, neither one of the products can prevent a finger from touching the cutting edge of a blade. Related applications are Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. hei 1-231763 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. hei 1-308359.